Hints allegations and things left unsaid(Europe van cheat sheet)

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To all who are interested or are going on a van tour this year, here are a few hints that you may enjoy having a look at. I figure share the wealth, I would love for everyone to have as much of a great time as I did traveling around Europe.

Getting a Van and touring Europe is by far the best option, Not only is it cheap (cost only 600 for gas and food for 7 weeks travel for 3 people) but you have a much better chance of seeing what a county and culture are really like.

Hints:
Use web sites like Couch surfing or Hostel club as they are invaluable for getting to know the locals. As well as for finding the best place to go out, eat, and shop. Not to mention seeing the hidden gems of each country.
Some other useful advice is to go on a free tour in the cities you go to you will get to know all sorts of great info and history about the place as well as meet some great fellow travelers. A favorite of mine is FreeEurope. They have great hosts and work on a donations system.

Insurance:
Is a B(*& in the UK, especially if you are a foreigner. The cheapest and by far the easiest is Down under world wide travel insurance. You can get cover from between 3weeks and a year so at least your options are open, and it is usually cheaper then the blood sucking Brit Insurance companies(sorry bad experiences lol)

Crossing:
The Cheapest way to cross from England to Europe is with the Channel crossing, If you Take a Sunday Crossing at either 1am or 4am it only cost £42, that’s for a van with up to 8 people inside!!!

Gear:
Elastic tie downs, screw in hooks, and duck tape😊

Totally optional but I found absolutely great is GPS, and a Wireless enabled laptop(as Unsecured wireless is incredibly easy to find all across Europe)
A USB GPS receiver is quit easy to get off Ebay for £30, as for the software I was lucky enough to get some with the receiver, but it shouldn’t be to easy to find=p(say online)

France
Gas: cheap, but varying price have a look around I saw it as cheap as 96c, Best place is usually at the big chain supermarkets
Tolls: lots - Blue signs indicate toll roads.
Showers: easy, Almost every gas station that truckers stop at has either cheap or free showers.
Wifi: Relativly easy in the city, took us an average of 4 to 5 stops to find an alright unsecured wireless
Parking: Easy at night(we slept in the Eiffel tower parking lot) day time in the city is almost impossible to find free or cheap parking, although in smaller villages its easy.
Food: pretty cheap and usually really tasty
Locals: Really friendly in the smaller villages but can be incredibly obnoxious in the bigger citys.


Belgium
Gas: bit more expensive but still quite cheep, varying price have a look around, Best place is usually at the big chain supermarkets
Tolls: None
Showers: easy, Almost every gas station that truckers stop at has either cheap or free showers.
WiFi: Not too bad in the city, took us an average of 6 to 7 stops to find an alright unsecured wireless
Parking: Relitavly difficult in the city but not to expensive, overnite was pretty easy even in the centre of the city.
Food: Tasty and pretty cheap, even waffles in centre of Brussels(2 euro)
Locals: Averagely friendly

Switzerland
Gas: Little more expensive that everywhere else except England
Tolls: You have to buy a yearly access for the road at 50 euro, expensive but great roads, most tunnels I have ever seen, one was 25 km across!
Showers: not sure? I was CouchSurfing😊
WiFi: Incredibly easy! 1 - 2 stop and got it
Parking: Very difficult in the city!
Food: good especially if you can meet a local and try some home cooked meals!
Locals: Very friendly and most understand English as well as various other languages

Italy
Gas: About the same as France so can be pretty cheap
Tolls: I avoided all toll roads and got to pass through quite a lot of great villages and towns
Showers: I was staying with friends but when I did look for some they were almost none exictent! I would suggest borrowing a hostels
WiFi: Not too bad in the city, took us an average of 5 to 6 stops to find an alright unsecured wireless
Parking: Not too bad, bit tough in cities, easy overnight, I parked right near the Milan Peace arch with no worries.
Food: Really tasty and rather cheap, I suggest checking out Milan and there free tapa’s type food every night at around 7pm with purchase of a drink.
Locals: Friendly but very into how they look or are perceived.



Croatia
Gas: Pretty cheap
Tolls: I avoided all toll roads
Showers: I was staying with friends so don’t really know I would suggest borrowing a hostels shower or visiting a campsite they usually allow u to shower for a couple bucks
WiFi: Relatively easy but did take 7 - 8 stops
Parking: really easy in most places
Food: Cheap and tasty, even a good resterant won’t cost u too much for a great night out
Locals: very friendly and almost all the younger generation know English.

Slovenia
Gas: Pretty Cheep
Tolls: there are tolls to most major cites and attractions
Showers: I was Couchsurfing so no idea =p
WiFi: pretty easy for find in the city 5 - 6 stops
Parking: easy almost everywhere
Food: cheap and tasty, but the cheep alcohol is to be avoided!! Its nasty, tho the rest is great
Locals: the friendliest I have met yet, great people and younger generation know English.as well

Austria
Gas:
Tolls:
Showers:
WiFi:
Parking:
Food:
Locals:

Czech
Gas:
Tolls:
Showers:
WiFi:
Parking:
Food:
Locals:

Germany
Gas:
Tolls: None
Showers:
WiFi:
Parking:
Food:
Locals:

Netherlands(Holland)
Gas:
Tolls: None
Showers:
WiFi:
Parking:
Food:
Locals:

England
Gas:
Tolls: None
Showers:
WiFi:
Parking:
Food:
Locals:

Sorry i havn't finished all the countrys but i will update it as soon as i can

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